Psychosocial Antecedents of Unprotected Sex by Drug-Using Men and Women

Abstract

Using the AIDS risk reduction model as a conceptual framework, we conducted a multivariate prospective test of psychosocial antecedents of unprotected sex by 155 female and 134 male heterosexual injection drug users. For both women and men, stronger intentions to use condoms predicted subsequent reductions in unprotected sex. For women, but not men, higher perceived self-efficacy also led to reductions in unprotected sex. These results suggest that explicit formation of risk-reduction intentions is an important antecedent to sexual behavior change by drug users of either gender and that change by drug-using women is also influenced by their perceived control over sexual risk-taking.